


Butterflies

by faerieflower



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Canon Universe, Confessions, F/F, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 21:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerieflower/pseuds/faerieflower
Summary: Petra feels a certain way about Dorothea, but she’s not sure how to put it into words...





	Butterflies

“Dorothea,” Petra began as she approached her, the other girl standing idly in the isolated cathedral. “May I be asking you something?”

Dorothea turned to look at her, donning an ever so gentle smile that prompted Petra to hold her breath, for reasons she couldn’t explain. The songstress’ hands were clasped together in front of her as she spoke, “Of course, Petra. Go ahead.”

And for a moment, Petra was stilled by Dorothea’s gaze. Something tugged at her heartstrings, and she felt a sort of knot in her stomach the longer they stood there. Dorothea’s skin glistened under the moonlight that made it’s way into the cathedral, glowing and illuminating the otherwise dark space they occupied.

Everything went quiet. Petra fidgeted.

“I am, ah, having difficulty with... with your people’s way of speaking.” That was the best way she could phrase it, for now, because that was all she could make sense of. All she could understand was that she was struggling to describe her own emotions... and, in a way, Dorothea was both the source of her struggles and the potential solution to them.

Dorothea laughed softly, “Alright, I’ll try to help as best I can. What is it you’re having trouble with?”

Petra shifted where she stood, averting her gaze to cast it upon the ground. “Words... to describe my feelings.”

“Your feelings?”

“Yes,” she replied, “my feelings about... someone.”

Dorothea was quiet. Petra could feel a hesitation on her part, even as she looked elsewhere, avoiding Dorothea’s eyes. It made her nervous. It made her look back up at the other girl, in an attempt to study her expression anxiously. Dorothea‘s visage seemed to host an array of emotions—confusion, surprise, and a hint of sadness the more that Petra looked at her. Petra’s mouth was ever-so-slightly agape as she tried to read Dorothea’s thought process.

Then the songstress spoke.

“Do... do you mean love?”

Petra’s face flushed red. “Oh, no! Um... I don’t think that is what I am feeling. Or, well, perhaps it is... If I am being honest, I am not quite knowing this feeling I have. That is why I am coming to you about it...”

“Ah,” Dorothea hummed thoughtfully. “Well, do you have butterflies in your stomach when you think about them?”

“Butterflies?” Petra’s head tilted, an eyebrow raised amid her evident confusion. Then her eyes suddenly widened. “You cannot have butterflies living in your stomach... can you?”

Dorothea let out a laugh far from soft this time, the joy in her voice echoing across the empty room and sending shivers down Petra’s spine. Her face burned hot for whatever reason, listening to her laugh in such a way.

“You’re adorable, you know that?” Dorothea said between her fits of giggling. “What I mean is, do they make you feel weird in your stomach?”

Petra gave it some thought. “...Yes.”

“Do you want to spend your life with them?”

“I do. I... I would like that a lot.”

Dorothea chuckled again, but this time Petra could almost swear it sounded sadder... heavier, like it was weighed down by something on her mind. “Sounds like love to me. Who’s the lucky guy?”

Petra couldn’t bring herself to answer in her state of shock. What she was feeling... it was really love? She loved Dorothea? The thought made her blush even more than before, and she covered her face in her hands to conceal it. She couldn’t meet Dorothea’s eyes. Not now...

Dorothea interpreted this differently. “Oh, I’m sorry! You don’t have to tell me who he is. I don’t want to pressure you.”

Petra merely shook her head, flushed expression remaining hidden behind her hands. “It is not that...”

“It’s... not?”

She felt her heartbeat thump and thump and nearly beat its way out of her chest. The pressure of Dorothea’s gaze burning into her was agonizing. The pressure of Dorothea simply standing before her was agonizing. She wasn’t sure if she could do this.

“Petra, hey...” Dorothea took a step towards her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. Petra was tense—and she was sure Dorothea could feel it in the touch. The brunette massaged her shoulder lightly, just enough to relax Petra’s anxiety in that moment. Just enough to help her muster the courage she needed.

Dorothea frowned, concern vivid on her features. “What’s wrong?"

“The one that I am having feelings for is you, Dorothea,” Petra sighed. “I think... I think I am loving—ah, I mean, I think I am in love... with you.”

She shut her eyes tight as to not see what kind of reaction would form on Dorothea’s face. If Dorothea had looked displeased, or even disgusted, Petra didn’t know how she would cope with beholding such a sight. But she heard a soft gasp from the songstress, and opened one eye despite her fear, submitting to her curiosity.

Tears were welling from Dorothea’s eyes. Petra froze.

“Oh, ah, no, I... I did not... I was not meaning to... I’m so sorry—“ Petra’s voice cracked, utmost guilt laced in her undertone.

“You mean it?”

Petra was stunned by the girl’s abrupt question. “Huh?”

“You really, truly love me?” Dorothea said amidst tears, sounding frail as she spoke. Petra didn’t realize until this moment how close the two had gotten to one another. They were merely inches from touching. This prompted Petra to take Dorothea’s hand in her own, albeit a hesitant touch, and locked gazes with the other girl.

“I love you, Dorothea. I would like to be spending my whole life by your side.”

Dorothea smiled and let out a heavy sob, suddenly wrapping her arms around Petra and holding her close in an emotional embrace. She wept into Petra’s shoulder. “I can’t explain to you how happy I am...”

“You... you are loving me as well?”

“Of course,” Dorothea laughed, but it sounded more like sobbing from the frailty of her voice. “I’ve loved you since we first met at the Academy, but I never thought you’d love me back... not in a million years...”

“You—“ Petra couldn’t finish her sentence because of sheer disbelief. “I... I am having shock.”

Dorothea pulled away from Petra’s shoulder to bring her face close to hers. Their foreheads touched in a moment of intimacy. Petra wiped the tears aside, finding one hand resting upon Dorothea’s cheek tenderly. Her eyes drifted down to the songstress’s lips, as Dorothea ran her fingers through maroon locks of silky hair. 

The cathedral was silent.

“I love you so much, Petra,” Dorothea whispered. “So, so much.”

And then their lips met in that passionate moment, any negative emotion that still lingered washing away in each other’s touch. Petra’s hands clasped Dorothea’s cheeks, bringing her so close that their bodies almost became one in their embrace. Dorothea rested her hands around Petra’s waist and sighed happily into the touch. They could stay like this for hours. 

And then they would, strolling about in the monastery with only each other and silence to keep them company, eventually falling asleep in the gazebo until the Professor found them cuddling soundly at the break of dawn.


End file.
